1. أَما وَالرِكابِ وَأَقتابِها

    تَجوبُ الفَلاةَ بِمُجتابِها

    Lo, by the riding camels and their saddles,

    Crossing the desert with one who traverses it,

  2. تُنَصُّ بِكُلِّ فَتىً ناسِكٍ

    صَحيحِ النُهى غَيرِ مُرتابِها

    Driven swiftly, bearing every devout young man,

    Of sound, unquestioned intellect;

  3. مَتى ذُكِرَت عِندَهُ مومِسٌ

    فَلَيسَ حِذاراً بِمُغتابِها

    Whenever a prostitute is mentioned in his presence,

    Then, out of fear, he does not speak ill of her;

  4. وَأَجبالِ فِهرٍ وَأَحجارِها

    وَكَعبَةِ كَعبٍ وَمُنتابِها

    And by Fihr's mountains and their stones,

    And by Kaʿb's Kaaba and whoever frequents it,

  5. وَكُتبٍ يَبينُ اِتِّقاءُ المَليكِ

    في دارِسيها وَكُتّابِها

    And by books—fear of the Sovereign is evident

    In those who study them and those who write them—

  6. لَقَد عُتِبَت هَذِهِ الحادِثاتُ

    فَلَم تُرضِ خَلقاً بِإِعتابِها

    Indeed, these vicissitudes have been reproached,

    Yet they have satisfied no one with their amends.